Arlene Croce

Arlene Croce
Name	Arlene Croce
Birth date	05 May 1934
Birth place	Providence, Rhode Island
Death date	09 January 2024
Death place	New York City
Occupation	Dance critic, writer, editor
Alma mater	Barnard College
Notable works	The Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers Book, Afterimages, Going to the Dance, Sight Lines
Spouse	George W.S. Trow

Arlene Croce was an influential American dance critic and writer, renowned for her incisive and authoritative prose. She was the founding editor of the influential journal Ballet Review and served as the dance critic for The New Yorker for nearly a quarter-century. Her work, characterized by its intellectual rigor and deep engagement with the aesthetics of ballet and modern dance, established her as a preeminent voice in the field and a formidable figure in American arts criticism.

Early life and education

Arlene Croce was born in Providence, Rhode Island, and developed an early interest in the performing arts. She pursued her higher education at Barnard College, the women's liberal arts college of Columbia University in New York City. Her academic background in literature and the humanities provided a critical foundation for her future writing. After graduating, she immersed herself in the cultural life of Manhattan, where her passion for dance criticism began to take shape through extensive theater-going and study.

Career and writing

Croce's career was launched with the founding of Ballet Review in 1965, a scholarly journal she edited that became essential reading for serious dance enthusiasts. Her early critical work established her reputation for combining meticulous observation with profound cultural analysis. She authored several important books, including The Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers Book, a seminal study of the iconic Hollywood dance duo, and collections of her essays such as Afterimages, Going to the Dance, and Sight Lines. Her writing often engaged with the work of major choreographers like George Balanchine, Merce Cunningham, and Jerome Robbins.

The New Yorker and dance criticism

In 1973, Croce was invited by editor William Shawn to become the dance critic for The New Yorker, a position she held until 1998. Her reviews and essays for the magazine, known for their length, depth, and stylish prose, reached a national audience and significantly elevated the stature of dance criticism. She covered pivotal moments in American dance, from the triumphs of the New York City Ballet to the experiments of the Judson Dance Theater. Her criticism was not merely reportorial but philosophical, often examining the relationship between dance, music, and broader artistic movements.

"Discussing the Undiscussable" controversy

In 1994, Croce published a highly controversial essay in The New Yorker titled "Discussing the Undiscussable," in which she declared she would not review a piece by choreographer Bill T. Jones titled Still/Here. She labeled the work, which incorporated video testimony from people with terminal illnesses, "victim art" and argued it was beyond the bounds of criticism. The essay ignited a fierce national debate about the limits of art criticism, identity politics, and aesthetics, involving figures from Susan Sontag to The Nation. The controversy remains a landmark case in discussions of artistic intent and critical responsibility.

Influence and legacy

Arlene Croce's influence on dance criticism is profound and enduring. She mentored a generation of critics and helped define the intellectual parameters of the discipline. Her insistence on the primacy of the artistic object and her resistance to what she saw as the politicization of art continue to inform critical debates. Scholars and institutions, including the Dance Critics Association and academic programs in dance studies, frequently cite her work. Her collected writings are considered essential texts for understanding late-20th century American dance.

Personal life

Croce was married to writer and journalist George W.S. Trow, a staff writer for The New Yorker and author of Within the Context of No Context. The couple moved in the literary and artistic circles of New York City. Following her retirement from regular criticism, she continued to write and lecture. Arlene Croce died in New York City in January 2024, leaving behind a formidable body of work that continues to challenge and inspire.

Category:American dance critics Category:American women writers Category:The New Yorker people Category:1934 births Category:2024 deaths